Un Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in un, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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The United Nations is a multilateral international organization financed by contributions from its 193 member states. The broader UN system, which includes many affiliated programmes, funds, and specialized agencies, is financed through voluntary rather than assessed contributions.

Buying within the UN system is carried out by procurement teams, who are responsible for all actions necessary for the acquisition, by purchase or lease, of property, including products and real property, and of services, including works.

The procurement rules and procedures of the various organizations reflect institutional differences as well as differences in size, activities and years of existence. However, common principles are applicable throughout the system of organizations. The one most significant common denominator for the UN system is that it operates with “public funds,” requiring that equal opportunity to participate be given to potential suppliers from all member countries.

U.S. Government Assistance

The U.S. Commercial Service New York (U.S. Department of Commerce) and the U.S. Mission to the United Nations (U.S. Department of State) manage a joint program to assist U.S. companies with UN procurement. Together, the U.S. Commercial Service and the U.S. Mission to the UN provide American businesses with 1) greater access and exposure to the United Nations procurement market, 2) individual vendor counseling and access to UN Procurement Officials, 3) U.S. Government advocacy for the use of U.S. technology and products in UN operations, and 4) support for a fair and transparent UN bidding process.

Additionally, the U.S. Commercial Service New York organizes UN procurement seminars and webinars during which attendees receive an introduction to UN procurement and have the opportunity to engage with UN procurement officials.

Market challenges associated with UN procurement, including international competition, conservative vendor selection, lengthy business development cycles, and sustainable development goals, should be reviewed when considering a UN procurement project.

Please visit: https://www.trade.gov/united-nations or contact the U.S. Commercial Service New York City office for additional information.

U.S. companies bidding on Government tenders may also qualify for U.S. Government advocacy. A unit of the U.S. Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration, the Advocacy Center coordinates U.S. Government interagency advocacy efforts on behalf of U.S. exporters bidding on public sector contracts with international governments and government agencies. The Advocacy Center works closely with our network of the U.S. Commercial Service worldwide and inter-agency partners to ensure that exporters of U.S. products and services have the best possible chance of winning government contracts. Advocacy assistance can take many forms but often involves the U.S. Embassy or other U.S. Government agencies expressing support for the U.S. bidders directly to the foreign government. Consult Advocacy for Foreign Government Contracts for additional information.

 

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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